990WBOB
  • WBOB Radio
  • Crush Cancer
  • Past Casts
  • Weather
  • Contact
  • About
    • WBOB Press Releases
    • Join Our Team!
    • CHARITY GALA

Pulse on Politics: Rhode Island - Home of the PawSox (and Sweetheart Deals)

4/17/2015

Comments

 
Picture
Dee DeQuattro

Rhode Island… the home of the PawSox and sweet heart deals. The new owners of the PawSox are dead set on getting out of Pawtucket and into Providence but they want the tax payers help to do it. The owners have unveiled a rendering of what the new stadium would look like, although based on the image it is not too clear where the parking will be, either way they say the project will cost about $85 million to build. 

The team says they will invest the dough if Rhode Island taxpayers cut them some breaks and let them recuperate on the investment. They are requesting state and city subsidies after the project is done. Basically the deal is a lease-sublease agreement that would ultimately cost taxpayers $4 million dollars a year over the next four years. About $120 million over thirty years… about $35 million more than the initial investment. According to a study conducted on behalf of the team, the state stands to gain $12.3 million in direct spending and about $2 million more in tax revenues.
Now, before every Rhode Island politician rushes to throw cash at the PawSox and their new owners, they should make sure they vet this deal and vet it well. If passed the state would be paying $4 million a year for the PawSox, while tax payers are still licking their wounds from the millions we are paying back to investors after the failed 38 Studios loan deal. Law makers need to approach this with caution because not only can the state not afford another 38 studios deal, tax payers can’t handle another huge blow to morale.

By the way, on average each Rhode Islander would pay about $4.00 a year in tax money to have to PawSox in Providence.

While the PawSox going to Providence would virtually devastate Pawtucket and completely uproot a Rhode Island tradition there are benefits to the stadium in Providence. First, the proposed stadium does look gorgeous and would probably be first class. Second, it is a more central venue, although many Rhode Islanders do get anxiety when they are told they need to travel to Providence. Third, the venue could be used for more than just baseball games during the off season. It could be like a Fenway park but in Rhode Island. While McCoy hosts a yearly concert, the possibilities for a centrally located baseball stadium on the water are endless.

Regardless of the possibilities Rhode Island lawmakers need to conduct their own feasibility studies and hire their own consulting firms and vet the deal before diving in. Hopefully lawmakers won’t just being seeing dollar signs for themselves which was the case with 38 Studios and they think about the best interests for the tax payers before committing the state.

Hockey season's not over?

Even though the Bruins are done for the season, a local hero still remains in the running for the Stanley Cup. Jack Capuano, coach of the New York Islanders, is still a contender. Capuano grew up in Cranston

Separated the wheat from the Chaf

Meanwhile, Marco Rubio officially entered the race for president this week. Now we have Hilary Clinton, Marco Rubio and that guy from Rhode Island… Lincoln Chafee. By the way, Saturday Night Live mustn’t take Chafee’s candidacy seriously because during a Hillary Clinton skit where she discussed possible Democratic challengers his name wasn’t even mentioned.

Guns don't kill people -- well they do, just not legal ones. 

There was a rally this week at the State House this week to call for limits where guns can be carried in Rhode Island. Providence Public Safety Commissioner, Steven Pare, joined the rally. The problem in Rhode Island is not guns, it is illegal guns on the streets of Providence. Even if you limit who can carry a gun and where, it is not going to keep guns out of the hands of gang members who have an entire underground economy and ways to access illegal weapons. If people are truly concerned for gun violence in providence, they should be rallying for more police protection and more money to support an illegal gun task force in Providence. But it’s more trendy to call for eliminating firearms or who can carry them. Rallies are great but in the end very ineffective. The bottom line is the state needs money to address some of the serious issues like public safety and illegal guns in the city.

Maybe the real solution is a ball park in downtown Providence or maybe it’s just another way for the state to waste money.

Close, but no job

Unemployment in Rhode Island has dropped again now we have hit 6.3% in March, adding 1,600 jobs. Half of the jobs were in education, the other half in food service. That’s good news except we still are almost a percent above the national average.

The statehouse is still standing, so that's a plus

By the way this week marks the first 100 days in office for Governor Raimondo. So far, so good seems to be consensus.

That’s all for this week. I’ll see you guys next week. 
Comments

    WBOB
    Original
    ​Reads

    Picture

    Unbiased, Unfiltered. WBOB's Original Reads feature our brightest and boldest personalities, offering their two-cents on the goings on of news, sports, politics, entertainment, and business. -- Are our opinions always PC? Nope. Are they always perfect? Nah. But, are they always 100% authentic? Absolutely!


    LISTEN
    ​TO WBOB ORIGINAL PODCASTS

    Picture
    Listen to
    ​Past BOBCasts

    WBOB 
    Best Reads
    Brought To You By
    TripAdvisor.com

    Picture

    Celebrating David Clyde: A Wild Passionate Friend To All


    Picture

    Search 
    The Archives


    Reads From Our Friends

    Picture

    The Best Game Development Tools: How to Make Your Own Game


    Contact Us
    [email protected]


    Archives

    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

Search For Your Favorite WBOB Author,
​or BobCast

990WBOB 
An Independent Media Outlet.

The views opinions and thoughts expressed do not  reflect those of 990WBOB, its management or its staff. All Rights Reserved 990WBOB.com 2007-2020
​
Contact WBOB HERE
Photo from nzhamstar
  • WBOB Radio
  • Crush Cancer
  • Past Casts
  • Weather
  • Contact
  • About
    • WBOB Press Releases
    • Join Our Team!
    • CHARITY GALA